The Nishimera Gibier Festival
“You ate what?” Maria-san asked with surprise. “Wild boar and deer.” She scrunched up her nose in disgust, “Urgh…really?” “Yeah, it was delicious!” “Oh no,”…
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Sumo on a Sunday
Two crouched rikishi look each other dead in the eye. In perfect symmetry, they rub their hands together, clap once, and then move their arms…
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Hiking Mt. Kaimondake
AIR RESCUE POINT. The small, yellow sign caught my eye as I clambered over another giant boulder. Take note, I teased myself, this is where they’ll…
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Miyazaki’s Winter Illuminations
At this time of year, the terrifyingly life-like fibreglass statues of Colonel Sanders that guard the entrance to every KFC in Japan are dressed up…
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Blue Impulse at the Nyutabaru Air Festival
Last Saturday, generals at the Nyutabaru Air Base in Shintomi Town, Miyazaki, constructed and hung a giant teru teru bozu doll from the awning of…
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Udo-jingū: A Most Unusual Shrine
During the Age of the Gods, the daughter of the Japanese sea King Ryujin, Toyotama, lived with her father in the underwater palace of Ryugu-jo.…
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A Quick Guide to Yufuin Onsen Town
In Japan, you’d be hard-pressed to find a city or town that doesn’t have at least one onsen (温泉). Thanks to abundant geothermal activity on…
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Hiking the Yufudake Trail
The tears came hard and fast. I had just reached the sign marking the last 800 meters of the Yufudake trail but instead of feeling…
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The Nishimera Village Revival
In the Ichifusa Mountain Range of Miyazaki, alongside the Hitotsuse River, seven picturesque hamlets are scattered across a 272 km² area filled with forests, streams,…
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Forest Bathing in the Kaeda Valley
The giant cotton balls overhead slowly parted as Austin and I made our way from the parking lot down the gravel path, as if to…
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Inside One of Japan’s Roadside Sex Shops (NSFW)
I could feel my throat turning to sandpaper as my shirt wrapped its arms tighter around me. Another ball of sweat dislodged from my forehead,…
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